NFL trade deadline: One move every team should make
By Joe Schiller
31. Atlanta Falcons: Trade for Aaron Lynch
Even with all the talent the Atlanta Falcons supposedly have at pass rusher, they’ve struggled to get to the quarterback this season. They have just 14 sacks through six games and it’s been part of their defensive downfall in the past three weeks. To help bolster this unit, the Falcons could trade and acquire defensive end Aaron Lynch from the San Francisco 49ers.
Lynch has all over the place in his first four years. He’s gone from averaging over six sacks in his first two seasons to being a non-factor in the last two years. The Niners absolutely stink right now and they could be looking to move some players for late conditional draft picks. Lynch would absolutely be one of those guys.
It never hurts to have more depth at pass rush and Lynch is a cheap option. He’s in the last year of his rookie contract and the Falcons could sign him for much cheaper than some of their other edge rushers who’ll be leaving in free agency next season. And even with Lynch’s struggles, maybe all he needs is a change of scenery.
The Falcons’ struggles don’t seem to stem much on the offensive side of the ball. They’ve got the weapons with Matt Ryan, Devonta Freeman and Julio Jones, they’ve just got to play better. If this team wants to get back to the Super Bowl, they need to add talent on the defensive side of the ball.